Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known foil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy that may be deployed to a utility grid.
Wind turbines, and the blades in particular, are prone to lightning strikes. Thus, modern wind turbines typically include a lightning protection system having one or more lightning receptors disposed on the exterior of the rotor blades and a lightning conductor (e.g. a cable or wire) coupled to the lightning receptor(s) and extending through the rotor blades from a blade tip to the blade root and through other components until grounded down through the tower to a ground location. Accordingly, when lightning strikes the rotor blade, the electrical current may flow through the lightning receptor(s) and may be conducted through the lightning system to the ground.
The lightning conductor is typically attached directly to the blade using fiberglass laminates and bond paste. More specifically, the present routing of the lightning conductor is in the root area of the rotor blade along the inner skin. Components in the rotor blade (e.g. spar caps) that are in close proximity to the conductor may have different voltage potentials, especially in the case of carbon-constructed spar caps. Such components can arc if either the voltage difference is too high or the distance between the components and the conductor is too close.
Thus, an improved system and method of reducing arc events in the rotor blade caused by lightning strikes would be beneficial. More specifically, a system and method that maximizes the distance between the lightning conductor and certain conductive rotor blade components, e.g. carbon spar caps, so as to reduce such arc events would be welcomed in the art.